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Erin Burnett Outfront
New Lead in Manhunt: Killer Maybe in Vermont; Authorities Zero In On Female Prison Worker; Obama To Send 450 More American Troops to Iraq. Aired 7-8:00p ET
Aired June 10, 2015 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:08] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT tonight, breaking news in the manhunt for two brutal killers. Police with a new lead tonight. They believe the suspects may be in Vermont. The governor OUTFRONT.
Plus, who is the female prison employee that sources say was supposed to pick up the inmates after their escape? OUTFRONT tonight, a former inmate from that prison.
And the infamous cop who pulled a gun on teens at a Texas pool party has resigned. So, why does he get to keep his pension? Will he be charged? Let's go OUTFRONT.
And good evening to all. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news. Police with a new lead tonight in the manhunt for the two convicted killers. The search for Richard Matt and David Sweat has now moved into Vermont. Authorities focusing on state parks, campgrounds, directing patrols along the borders of Lake Champlain, which actually crosses all the way into Canada. They have got marine units now surrounding that lake. Police are trying to assure the public that police are looking and I'll quote them behind every tree, under every rock. And at the same time, heavily armed police are still searching in Dannemora, New York, that's the town where Matt and Sweat escaped from the maximum security prison five days ago. Usually when people get out of jail and escape, they are missing for a few hours. Five days. Authorities now going door to door checking every single car in a town of 2,000. The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, says a quick capture is necessary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: We need to find these escapees. They are dangerous men. They are killers. They are murderers. There's no reason to believe they wouldn't do it again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Time is of the essence. But again, about five days already passed. All of these as new questions are raised about the female prison worker. You are looking at her there. Her name is Joyce Mitchell. Sources say she's linked to the killers and was supposed to pick them up after their brazen escape. We're going to have much more on her story ahead. Because we have learned a lot more about her today. But I want to begin with Jason Carroll beginning our coverage
outside our prison tonight. And Jason, I know you have heard from police. More than 500 tips. They are losing sunlight by the minute here. And every minute does matter. How intense is the search at this hour?
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, as you can imagine, it's just as intense as ever. Investigators, law enforcement out here on this very same road here in front of the prison retracing their steps, knocking on many of the doors that they did early on during the search, doing that again, not wanting to leave any stone unturned. Also wanting to check every lead. One of those leads you mentioned, you talked about. And that is now having do with the state of Vermont. There are thoughts that perhaps these two men, Richard Matt and David Sweat, perhaps had some sort of a plan to head into Vermont.
The thought being perhaps there would be less law enforcement on the ground there, less heat if you will there, then there would be here in the state of New York. Not the case. Vermont actively involved in the search for these two men as well. Vermont state police joining the search. There are also checkpoints and patrols set-up along Lake Champlain. That is well all this as New York's governor Erin has come out asking again for the public's help, asking for the public to report anything suspicious and to remain vigilant -- Erin.
BURNETT: And Jason, you know, the woman in the prison, Joyce Mitchell, right? That they are -- some are saying was supposed to help them with the getaway car, that may have been co-opted into helping them, you spoke exclusively to her daughter-in-law. What did she tell you about the woman we see here, Joyce Mitchell?
CARROLL: They are very angry. Paige Mitchell, her daughter-in- law, very angry about many of the reports that are circulating out there. Spoke to her at length this afternoon about a lot of the allegations. Basically, she told me a number of things. First and foremost her quote, she said, "I think 95 percent of what is being said is not true. They don't have the facts to prove this. This is slander and rumor." She said, "no way, absolutely no way she would give them power tools. There's no way. It's just ridiculous." I asked her also about that allegation, Erin, that her mother-in-law had some sort of a plan to help these two men once they had escaped out of the manhole but changed her mind at the last minute. When I asked Paige Mitchell about that, she said that is another one of those things she said we have heard about that, she said, my mother-in-law would never, ever do something like that. She said, that's ridiculous as well -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Jason, thank you very much. And we will going to hear much more on her side of the story and whether it adds up at all. But first, law enforcement officials asking if you have any information on these suspects. Now, you see their picture so much on TV. But look around. Please call the tip line, 1-800-give-tip if you have any idea where these men may be at this time. All right. So, thanks very much for that. And I want to bring in right now immediately the Vermont Governor
Peter Shumlin. Governor Shumlin, I appreciate you taking the time. We just shared the tip line for our viewers so people could call in if they had any idea where these men might be. You said these murderers may be trying to go to your state, to Vermont. Do you think they are there tonight?
[19:05:22] GOV. PETER SHUMLIN, VERMONT (on the phone): We just have no idea, Erin. This is what we do know. These two guys are very dangerous. We have to find them as quickly as we possibly can. Governor Cuomo and I are extraordinarily concerned about it. And we're putting all of our law enforcement resources into trying to get these guys and lock them back up where they belong. Having said that, the only tip that we have and, you know, I want to emphasize, we don't know where they are. But the only tip we have is that they did intend to go to Vermont. They thought it would be cooler over here in terms of law enforcement. And, obviously, you know, they are trying to do everything they can to not get caught.
BURNETT: So, as you said, acting on the tip that they intended to go to Vermont. Here's what we know about them. You talk about them as being dangerous. Richard Matt dismembered a man. David Sweat murdered a sheriff's deputy. How dangerous are they right now? To the public.
SHUMLIN: Well, you know, obviously we don't want folks to panic. We want them to use common sense. But what both Governor Cuomo and I are telling the folks to New York and Vermont is, you know, it's often in this kind of situation Erin that you find people like this because someone sees something suspicious. Someone sees two people that they just don't belong there or they find a camp broken into or they find a stolen boat on the shore and they didn't really think that much about it until somebody would go, oh yes, that boat I saw. So, bottom-line is, we're reaching out, we're calling out upon New Yorkers and Vermonters not to panic, use common sense. If you see something suspicious call it in. Do not approach these guys. Because these are killers. These are not nice men. And obviously, any suspicions should be reported in so that we can all collect if we get these guys locked up where they belong.
BURNETT: All right. Governor Shumlin, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much.
And I want to bring in now two men with a lot of experience on exactly what's happening right now, the sort of the desperate manhunt. A retired NYPD detective sergeant Joe Giacalone, and retired U.S. marshal Arthur Roderick. Hunted down the FBI's most wanted. He's also investigated the Alcatraz prison escape.
Joe, yesterday we were talking. You said you thought these men were in a town close to the Vermont border. It was just a few miles away in New York, Lake Champlain obviously was the divider, which is significant. Right? That body of water. Do you think they were able to make it across that lake, that they could be in Vermont at this hour? JOE GIACALONE, RETIRED NYPD DETECTIVE SERGEANT: Yes. It's very
possible, I mean, especially now with this heat. You know, you get stuck with mosquitos might be biting them. I mean, they have to be hyper vigilant now too. So, they haven't rested well. They are running from law enforcement. They haven't eaten probably. No drinking water. So, they're going to be desperate. They're going to try to make a move, preferably at night time for them so they can get through. But I hope law enforcement is using some of the new technology like drones and, you know, some of the infrared stuff so maybe we can see some heat, signature or something that we could find these guys.
BURNETT: And Art, what is your view? I mean, you know, obviously the reporting is perhaps right that sources are saying that the woman who worked in that prison was going to be the getaway car. She didn't show up. That would imply that they are on foot, right, unless there was a carjacking of which we haven't heard anything yet. Are you confident though that that's the case? Or is it possible that they have fled already much farther than anybody thinks?
ARTHUR RODERICK, RETIRED U.S. MARSHAL: Well, that is a possibility. But I do think that they are in that area, specifically within 24 or 48 hours of the escape, the U.S. marshals went out and got an unlawful flight to avoid prosecution warrant. That warrant would cover any investigation that would cross the state lines or actually go into Canada. Now, I know there have been leads up in the Canada area. So I'm not surprised there aren't any in the Vermont area also.
BURNETT: So, let me ask you, Joe, are you surprised? You talk, you know, that they are desperate. Obviously not resting well no matter where they are, right? I mean, that's true. And then there's the situation that they might not have food, water, money, car, anything. Are you surprised that we haven't heard of a carjacking or as the governor of Vermont just said to me, you know, a boat that's missing, something?
GIACALONE: Right. At this point, they don't want to leave those bread crumbs behind. So, anything that happens -- even if they break into something, I mean, it's going to set up that red flare. And I don't think they want do that right now. And I think they know that.
BURNETT: So, you think they are smart enough to not -- they are not at that level of desperation where --
GIACALONE: No, not yet. And like I said, this actually plays out better for law enforcement. Because as long as this goes, the more tired they will going to be and hopefully they just give themselves up because they can't take it anymore.
BURNETT: All right. Art, what do you think? Would they ever give themselves up?
RODERICK: I think that's a possibility. But the way these two psychopaths have been operating in the past, I doubt it. I mean, I was actually up in that area about three or four months ago. And it is very rural and rugged area. And it is dotted with many cabins and summer homes that just aren't open yet. So, there is a very good possibility that they were able to get into one of those locations, find food, find shelter and find some clothes. So, that is a possibility, especially up in that area that they could have been hiding out in one of those empty homes for a few days.
[19:10:16] BURNETT: Yes. You keep using the word they. You think they are still together?
RODERICK: I think they probably are still together. They might be reaching the end of their rope as far as dealing with one another. But they probably are still together. They have to rely on each other right now since the car was not where it was supposed to be.
BURNETT: And Joe, do you think they will strike again?
GIACALONE: Yes. I hope not. But there's a good possibility that in their desperation that they could do something. And that's why the governors keep on telling people, just call if you see something suspicious.
BURNETT: All right. Well, thanks very much to both of you. As this is ongoing at this hour.
Next, the woman who works in the prison's tailor shop, she's an Air Force mother, she's a wife. But was Joyce Mitchell an accomplice in one of the most daring prison escapes ever? We have learned more about her today. We're going to find it all out, next.
And the President sending hundreds of American troops to Iraq. Are more Americans about to risk their lives in Iraq again?
And even police say this officer's behavior was indefensible when he pinned this teenage girl down at a pool party. Tonight, you will hear his side of the story though for the first time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:14:36] BURNETT: Breaking news. The search heating up at this hour for the two convicted killers on the run. Right now, authorities are searching in Vermont. They are patrolling nearby Lake Champlain as well as a lot of campgrounds specifically. The governor was just telling me. We are also learning that investigators are questioning guards, inmates and civilians at the Clinton Correctional Facility looking for accomplices in the historic jail break. One of those civilian workers is Joyce Mitchell. You see her there. She's the woman authorities say befriended the two convicted killers at the prison and according to sources, might even have been the man's getaway driver except for, they didn't show up for that part of it. We are learning more about her tonight.
Jean Casarez is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Investigators are leaving no stone unturned in the search for convicted killers Richard Matt and David Sweat. Questioning prison employees like Joyce Mitchell who has worked at the prison since 2008 and is known to have contact with the escape inmates working in the prison's tailoring shop.
JOSEPH D'AMICO, NEW YORK STATE POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: Obviously, she was befriended or she befriended the inmates and may have had some sort of role in assisting them.
CASAREZ: Sources tell CNN that Mitchell may have allowed the two inmates to make calls from her cell phone and could have been planning to pick them up after their escape. Mitchell's son says she would never have helped inmates but might do out of the ordinary things if she was scared.
TOBEY MITCHELL, JOYCE MITCHELL'S SON: When you are put in a situation where family members, friends or other family members might be friend or at risk, you do all the things that you wouldn't think to protect your family. And in my family, family always comes first.
CASAREZ: Mitchell's daughter-in-law says any cell phone use can be explained. "I believe there is talk about her and Richard Matt. He was interested in art. I believe she was persuaded to contact people for him who knew about an art piece or work of art. That's what the cell phone calls are about." Percy Pitzer, a former federal warden at five different prisons around the country says prisoners can be persuasive.
PERCY PITZER, FORMER FEDERAL PRISON WARDEN: Some of these inmates are very manipulative. They are very good at what they do. And I mean, they can get a staff member's attention.
CASAREZ: Whether Mitchell is involved remains to be seen. But authorities say there is no question the escaped convicts had help from the inside. The big question is from who.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CASAREZ: Now, we were able to confirm that Joyce Mitchell is a state employee. She's not an independent contractor of the prison and because of that, there are public records. So, we were able to find even more about her. She has been employed for seven years at the prison. And her title is specifically, industrial training supervisor. And the former federal warden Percy Pitzer tells me that the real motivation when an employee of a prison helps a prisoner, number one, it's money and number two, it's personal. And we were able to confirm through those personal records, she makes Erin almost $60,000 a year.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Jean Casarez.
OUTFRONT now, Marty Tankleff, he spent 12 years at the Clinton Correctional Facility. He was convicted of murdering his parents. That conviction though was overturned in 2007. Gary Heyward is also with me. He's a former prison guard. He served time in jail for smuggling drugs into the infamous New York's Rikers Island prison. All right. You both know more about this than almost anyone from
the position of inmate guard and also inmates. So, let me start with you, Marty. Joyce Mitchell worked at this prison, right, super max prison, for at least seven years. We don't know how long she knew these two killers. But we believe that she knew them both. Do you think they could have had a relationship with her?
MARTY TANKLEFF, SERVED 12 YEARS AT CLINTON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY: It's very possible. Any job you have in a correctional facility, if you work around civilians or officers for an extended period of time, the relationship you have over that extended period of time changes from when you first start there. You know, if you work in a tailor shop, you are one of 25 inmates or 30 inmates that you have to work around the same office or same civilian day in and day out.
BURNETT: Right.
TANKLEFF: So, obviously if they were there for a year, two years, three years, the relationship will change over a period of time.
BURNETT: And it could be close. I mean, you know, Gary, the family, you heard, right, there's no way she could have helped these killers at all. They say, well, if there are calls on her cell phone, it was because of some kind of art that they were looking into. That's their explanation. That to you is a big red flag.
GARY HEYWARD, FORMER INMATE AND CORRECTION OFFICER: Well, it's a major red flag to me. Because, well, as a correctional officer, one of the rules that is vast rule is undue familiarity. I mean, you can have any kind -- you couldn't have any kind of personal relationship with any inmates. It's strictly business all the time, performing your job.
BURNETT: Right.
HEYWARD: So, the mere fact that she made phone calls on behalf of his art or anything showed that the relationship was more than a professional trainer inmate relationship.
[19:19:20] BURNETT: Right. And we're also learning -- her daughter-in-law is saying she's a nervous person. She's always worried. She says that's why she wouldn't have helped the men. But, you know, Richard Matt is known -- we keep hearing this again and again. Ladies man, able to, you know, that's what we keep hearing. Do you think he could have taken advantage of her?
HEYWARD: Well, inmates have nothing but time to sit and plot and think of how to get advantage by the inside. It could have been -- they felt that she had low self-esteem. She could have had a conversation on the phone that her marriage may not be as well as it is.
BURNETT: Yes.
HEYWARD: They take this and they analyze it and they use it as an advantage to try to pry, break down her resistance and get real familiar with her.
BURNETT: Now, Marty, again Mitchell's family says, there's no way she would have done this. You have served time in this prison though. When you think about it, right, I mean, the complexity of what they were able to pull off, not just that they were able to get the power tools and do this, but they knew the maps. And just finding your way out knowing what pipe goes where and what pipe is big enough and when the steam is coming down the pipe, I mean, this is not simple. This is not something that Joyce Mitchell alone would have been able to help them with. I mean, how many people do you think helped them?
TANKLEFF: Well, one of the big questions is really is how were they imparted the knowledge that the steam pipe in question actually exited out of the facility on to the street and there was a manhole cover? I mean, they could have had one person impart that knowledge to them. One of the bigger questions really is, did they gain access to the catwalk area where the steam pipe was or did somebody else gain access to the steam pipe area? Nobody has really identified who gained access. And I think you can really narrow down who gained access by identifying when was the heat shut off so the steam pipes would have been accessible? Once you narrow that down, you can really access who got the catwalk keys, who reference to the catwalk, and who did any kind of maintenance or repair work in the catwalk area.
BURNETT: So, you both have served time in prison. Right?
HEYWARD: Yes.
BURNETT: Can you imagine people who would help people like them? I mean, just taking a step -- if you knew they are going to get out and you are not, would you still have helped them? And would people do that?
HEYWARD: You know, it's somewhat of a code of honor amongst inmates.
BURNETT: Yes.
HEYWARD: Because inmates knew other than the two that things were going down. Because it took time to plan this.
BURNETT: Right.
HEYWARD: So, no one inside wants to be labeled as a snitch, as somebody who would tell about this elaborate plan. So I mean, it will take more investigation. Somebody is going to talk, somebody is going to tell intricate details about this two.
BURNETT: And Gary, you know, part of the reason -- when you were a corrections officer but then you were behind bars and that was because you were things like smuggling drugs then. So, you know that it can be done. So, let's just say we're talking about the power tools, things like that. Right? Could a guard or someone else have smuggled that in? How could that have happened?
HEYWARD: Absolutely.
BURNETT: Absolutely you say.
HEYWARD: It's a trust factor. Correction live by the creed that you took oath to uphold the law inside the jail. So, if I'm working inside the jail as correction officer, they become a family. It becomes a strong bond with your fellow employees. So, you wouldn't suspect one of your fellow employees.
BURNETT: So, I don't frisk you and check you everyday and you could bring something in?
HEYWARD: Absolutely. I could bring whatever I want in.
BURNETT: And what do you think, Marty? You think that inmates helped?
TANKLEFF: It's very possible. But the code is if they did know, nobody would say anything. Also, the less people that knew, the more chances of success that they would achieve.
HEYWARD: Absolutely.
TANKLEFF: Because if you had, let's say, a dozen people that knew, it's a potential for having let's say a dozen people informing.
BURNETT: Right.
TANKLEFF: You know, in prison, if there's only two people that know and --
BURNETT: And they are both getting out. Then you know no one is going to tell.
TANKLEFF: Right. But if one of them does tell, you know where it came from. If six people know and let's say, there's two different stories, and they only get one of those story, you could really identify who told the administration because there were two stories told.
BURNETT: All right. So, I want to share with everyone this. We just have this in now. It's a new wanted poster coming out of the state of Vermont where they're looking out tonight. This is -- we're just getting this. As we said, they are looking there. To each of you, do you think they can pull this off? Are they going to get away?
TANKLEFF: I mean, they have accomplished something that's never been done in the state of New York so far.
BURNETT: Yes.
TANKLEFF: And if they really were able to successfully get out and had a plan A and a plan B -- what I mean by plan A is let's say, a getaway driver or plan B is there was no getaway driver --
BURNETT: Which we think we're now on that. TANKLEFF: Which is way possible. And they were smart enough to
evade law enforcement and go to Canada or Vermont quickly, because they did have at least a five-hour head start, they have the potential of being successful.
HEYWARD: I feel the same.
BURNETT: All right.
HEYWARD: I feel the same.
[19:24:12] BURNETT: All right. Potential of being successful from two people who would know. All right. Thanks very much to both of you. I really appreciate your coming on.
And next, President Obama sending another 450 American troops to Iraq. Some Democrats are saying this is how Vietnam got started. Is this a disaster in the making?
And the officer who pulled a gun on unarmed teens at a pool party, tonight, we will hear his side of the story through the first time.
And much more on the top breaking news story tonight, the manhunt for two brutal killers. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:28:39] BURNETT: Tonight, President Obama says he is sending 450 more Americans to Iraq. Now putting nearly 3,500 Americans on the ground. The war against ISIS is not going well. The Iraqi army says it's recaptured a strategic oil refinery town of Beiji from ISIS. The U.S. officials tells CNN though that the truth is that the balance is 50/50 in terms of control.
Ben Wedeman just returned from the frontlines. He is outfront from Baghdad tonight. And Ben, you know, we're just learning, 450 more American troops are going to go into Iraq. Is that enough to stop ISIS?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly in terms of the numbers, it's pretty small. Keep in mind that out of the current 3,100 U.S. forces here in Iraq at the moment, only about 650 are actually involved in training. So, an additional 450 isn't going to make a huge difference. Now, what's interesting is that they're going to be deployed to a base called Dakadam (ph) which is halfway between Fallujah, which is controlled by ISIS. And Ramadi, which is also controlled by ISIS. So, they're going to be very much near the action. And that seems to be one of the objectives of this new deployment, the creation of a new base where U.S. forces will be training the Iraqis. And it appears that they're also going to be playing sort of not necessarily -- they're not going to be involved in combat. But they will be close enough to the action that they can provide the kind of up close advising, perhaps, that they have not been doing until now. Erin. BURNETT: And, Ben, you were right outside the town the Iraqis
say they control but the United States says at best it's 50/50. What did you see?
WEDEMAN: Well, at one point we were on rooftop 2 1/2 kilometers from the city center. And we could still hear a fair amount of shooting. Now, we did speak to several field commanders, including the head of the Hashd al-Shabi, that's the Shia-led Iranian-backed paramilitary organization. And he himself told us that at best the situation is 50/50 as far as control of the city goes.
That interestingly contradicts what we have been hearing from Iraqi officials here in Baghdad for the last 48 hours who have been telling us with the exception of one neighborhood in the northern part of the city, that the town is under control of pro-government forces. In fact, when we were there, we were pushing quite hard to get into Baiji itself, and they were hesitant to let us in.
BURNETT: Actions speak louder than words. Certainly, what you are seeing directly on the ground.
Thank you very much, Ben Wedeman, live from Baghdad.
I want to bring OUTFRONT now, Peter Brookes. He served as deputy assistant secretary of defense under President George W. Bush. And the retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, who served in Iraq for three years.
Thanks to both.
General Hertling, last time I spoke with the former CIA operative Bob Baer, who spent a lot of time in Iraq. He told me, I quote him, "This is starting to look like mission creep. We don't have a clue how to fix ISIS."
But I know you think sending an additional 450 American troops into Iraq could be a good thing, right?
LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I think it's certainly a good thing because what we're seeing is the potential for increased Iraqi inclusiveness. That's what's going in Anbar. When Ben just reported that we're going to be basing the trainers between Fallujah and Ramadi, that is where the Sunni tribes are. They are having difficulty getting to other bases where they are being trained.
And this shows that the Iraqi government is taking the seriousness of getting those Sunni tribal members trained into a national guard, which Prime Minister Abadi has been trying to do for the last six months.
BURNETT: Peter, 450 more American troops, bringing the total to, you know, about 3,500. Is that enough? Is that the right strategy?
PETER BROOKES, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I think it's political cover for what the president said last week at the G7 when he talked about that they didn't have a complete strategy for training the Iraqis. I think it's essentially a band-aid on an aggressive cancer.
I do agree with the general. It's good thing if you can get the troops trained up and willing to fight. I mean, even the U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has said he has concerned. And he said it publicly.
BURNETT: Yes.
BROOKES: Which is really interesting to me, to CNN, that he has questions about their will to fight. So, you can train these guys forever, but if they're not willing to get in the ring and take on ISIS, you've got a problem.
BURNETT: And, General Hertling, not only did the secretary of defense say that to our Barbara Starr, right, that they didn't have the will to fight. But you just heard Ben Wedeman reporting that ISIS appears to be in control of that crucial town of Ramadi, obviously, and half of Baiji. The Iraqis, though, don't even admit that. They come out and say, no, no, no, we're in charge of Baiji.
You know, our reporter goes there. It's clear that that's not true.
Why do you think the president is doing the right thing when the Iraqis don't show up to train and appear to lie when it comes to where they are winning and losing?
HERTLING: Well, I wasn't present at the meetings between the president and the prime minister last week at the G7 and the previous meetings before that. But what I might suggest, Erin, is they are probably talking a lot about the president helping the prime minister to overcome some of the sectarian divides within the Iraqi government.
When Secretary Carter was talking about the will to fight, I like to translate it, because I think I understood what he was saying. He is talking about the leadership of the Iraqi army, both the generals on the ground, the colonels, and the Iraqi government contributing to the soldiers' will to fight. That's what happens.
I mean, you can teach soldiers all you want about the skill of conducting themselves in combat. But unless they have will, which is a supplementary thing, you can't do much in making them fight.
The trust in government is what they are looking to do right now. And the reason I think it's a good thing because it's an indicator that the Prime Minister Abadi is trying to get more of the Sunnis and also the Kurds in the north involved in this fight under the control of the Iraqi central government.
BURNETT: All right. Well, thanks very much to both of you. I appreciate it.
And OUTFRONT next, the officer in the pool party video. His attorney now says he is suffering from severe emotional distress at this moment.
[19:35:02] His side of the story tonight for the first time.
And more on our top breaking story, the two escaped convicts, how can they survive days on the run in a remote wooded area, no food, no water? We have a very special report on that. We're going to show you. That's coming up, OUTFRONT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: New tonight, the lawyer for the teenage girl seen in this video, her face pushed to the ground, is calling the officer's actions beyond inappropriate and excessive.
The officer you see there, his name is Eric Casebolt. He resigned yesterday. He'd been on the job for 10 years.
He's going to get all his benefits. He is eligible for his pension. He resigned. He was not fired.
Now, tonight, we are hearing his side of the story for the first time, and it might surprise you.
Alina Machado is OUTFRONT with that story in Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A show of support for the former McKinney police corporal seen in this video.
And tonight, five days after Eric Casebolt slammed a teenage girl to the ground and pointed his gun at other teens at a pool party, an apology on his behalf.
[19:40:01] JANE BISHKIN, ATTORNEY FOR ERIC CASEBOLT: He never intended to mistreat anyone, but was only reacting to a situation and the challenges that it presented. He apologizes to all who were offended.
MACHADO: Casebolt resigned from the police department yesterday after being placed on administrative leave. His actions in this suburb north of Dallas, the subject of intense criticism and ongoing investigation by the McKinney Police Department.
PAMELA MEANS, NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT: I don't want my members to paint police officers with one brush, just like I don't want police officers to paint my community with one brush.
BISHKIN: It's his hope that his resignation will facilitate the cooperative relationship between the citizens and the police officers of the city of McKinney. When the Craig Ranch neighborhood incident came over the radio, Eric Casebolt was reluctant to respond to a simple trespassing call. However, once the call was escalated and responded to possible violent assault, he felt and believed it was his duty to respond.
MACHADO: Jane Bishkin, Casebolt's attorney, giving some insight into her client's state of mind that day. She says before he responded to the pool party, Casebolt had responded to two suicide calls, one involving a man who had shot himself in the head.
BISHKIN: The nature of these two suicide calls took an emotional toll on Eric Casebolt.
MACHADO: Bishkin says Casebolt, who was named Officer of the Year in 2008 allowed the emotions to get the best of him, contributing to his behavior seen on the video. She says he didn't face reporters today over concerns about his safety.
BISHKIN: The death threats. He is worried for his family. He is worried he may be followed. Until that threat subsides, he is going to be -- you know, in an undisclosed location.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACHADO: Now, much has been made of the fact that this former officer is still going to be eligible for his pension. It turns out that in the state of Texas, once you earn that eligibility, you don't lose it regardless of how your job status changes. So, even if he had been fired or if he ends up facing criminal charges down the road, Casebolt will still be receiving his pension.
Now, as far as the investigation, again, we're told it's still ongoing. At this point, it's unclear if Casebolt will be facing any criminal charges -- Erin.
BURNETT: Obviously, a crucial question for many watching the story. Thank you so much, Alina.
Now, OUTFRONT next, two very resourceful convicts escaping this maximum security prison. But right now, they are trying to survive in some of the most rural, heavily wooded terrain in the United States of America. A special report on exactly how they're doing it.
And remember this tiny dancer? Tonight, she got some major respect from the queen of soul.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:47:01] BURNETT: Breaking news: the manhunt for the two killers who escape a maximum security prison in New York at this hour moving to Vermont. We have just gotten the wanted poster being distributed in Vermont at this hour, of those two convicts.
Hundreds of police officers searching campsites, the governor telling me specifically, they're also going door to door. Richard Matt and David Sweat have been on the run for five days. So, the question is this, how are they surviving in some of the most difficult terrain in the country?
Alexandra Field is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first reported sighting of the fugitives near Dannemora, the second in the tiny town of Willsboro, now, authorities say there's information Richard Matt and David Sweat are heading toward Vermont.
The search spanning the northern reaches of the Adirondacks.
(on camera): Are the Adirondacks going to be a huge challenge for them or a resource that provides some cover while they move?
SHANE HOBEL, MOUNTAIN SCOUT SURVIVAL SCHOOL: I think that's a little bit of both.
FIELD: Without professional training, survival expert Shane Hobel says the odds are well-stacked against them.
HOBEL: It's one of the largest parks in the entire United States, including that one of the most rugged areas and terrains in this country. The temperature, even at night, even in June, we're still talking about hypothermic conditions. So, if they don't have the proper clothing, I'm sure that they're dehydrated, I'm sure that they're little malnourished, they are exhausted.
FIELD: It's likely Hobel says they'll duck in and out of woods heading out toward urban areas to find resources, going back in to cover ground. If they can navigate it, the Adirondack trail system will lead them in whatever direction they're trying to go. Hobel says experienced hikers typically cover eight to 15 miles a day, some as many as 20.
JOSEPH D'AMICO, NEW YORK STATE POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: That means looking behind every tree, under every rock and inside every structure until we find these men.
HOBEL: But there's actually, if you noticed, there's a tread pattern.
FIELD: Hobel trains law enforcement officers to recognize signs that aren't easily noticed.
HOBEL: As a tracker, we come in and we look for those specific disturbances on the landscape and tie it to that individual. And then follow that trail.
FIELD (on camera): We will try it.
HOBEL: This is where you went in. I'm looking at the few patterns and a couple of leaf pops that you're leaving up.
FIELD: In the Adirondacks, the search area is vast, the hunt already days long.
HOBEL: We're back to the search method. That's men or women standing abreast from each other and then walking through the woods and hoping to see something, stumble upon something, discover something.
FIELD: To track these suspects he says officials would need a very recent sighting to try and find some telltale sign.
Alexandra Field, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: I want to bring back, the retired NYPD detective, Sergeant Joe Giacalone.
All right. They're on the run for five days. No matter how in shape they are, right, they're not used to running. They may not have the right gear, they're not experienced hikers. So, what are they going through right now?
[19:50:01] JOSEPH GIACALONE, RETIRED NYPD DETECTIVE SERGEANT: Right. Right now, they're going through a nightmare. I mean, surviving in prison is one thing, surviving out in the wilderness so to speak is something else.
BURNETT: Totally different set of scales.
GIACALONE: Right. It's hot during the day. It's freezing at night. You getting wet, you're going through like swamplands, your feet, what kind of shoes are they wearing. I mean, these things are all positive for law enforcement. They're not going to be able to take this much abuse over the next couple days if they're going to -- and, you know, hopefully, just come out and say I had enough.
BURNETT: So you don't think they were ready for this part of it? You think this is what could bring them down?
GIACALONE: Yes, this is something that was not planned for. We pretty much hear they had a car waiting for them. That didn't pan out. And now, they're ad-libbing this thing as they go along. Quite frankly, they were not prepared for this.
BURNETT: And what about footwear you think someone could have provided them with footwear or the right gear, or no?
GIACALONE: It could be. You know what, though? That might be -- you know, that's an afterthought. We have all done this saying, oh, I should have brought the umbrella today. I mean, if they're wearing a pair of Keds or something that they had from prison -- I mean, this is not the kind of terrain you want to be walking over rocks and branches and tree stumps and everything like that. So, this is a positive for law enforcement. So, let's hope this ends peacefully.
BURNETT: All right. Joe, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
GIACALONE: Thanks for having me.
BURNETT: Texas sergeant, as we said.
All right. OUTFRONT next, a follow up to this story of this amazing 6-year-old that we introduced you to, getting down to Aretha Franklin's "Respect." Ahead, Aretha reacts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BURNETT: So, we are celebrating the '70s at CNN this week. We
had a whole lot of '70s candy, today. And to kick it off for you, we're looking at -- well, television from Mary Tyler Moore to Olivia Pope in "Scandal" -- how far we have come.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got spunk.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hate spunk.
BURNETT (voice-over): It was a time of ground breaking television, especially for women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a case of outright prejudice.
BURNETT: Shows like "Maude" and "All in the Family" showcased women's issues like never before, and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" debuted in 1970 -- a single woman with a career.
MARILU HENNER, "TAXI" STAR: I think the '70s was a special time. It was rare to see a single girl like a Mary Richard or a single mom, like Elaine Nardo, on television.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's wrong, don't they feed you in there?
BURNETT: Marilu Henner starred as Elaine, that single mom who drove a cab on the hit show "Taxi."
HENNER: I think Elaine really did reflect what was happening in America. In the '70s, a lot of women were saying, "You know what, marriage isn't what I thought it was going to be. I don't want to be somebody's wife. I do want to have a career."
BURNETT: TV reflecting a changing America, as a newfound independence propelled women to work, between 1970 and 1980, the number of working women aged 25-34 increased nearly 50 percent.
(on camera): So what would Mary and Rhoda think of the women on TV today?
JOE CONCHA, COLUMNIST, MEDIAITE.COM: They would be envious. If you remember, women couldn't get pregnant at work until 1978.
BURNETT (voice-over): That's the year women could no longer lose their jobs just for getting pregnant. But it would take another 15 years before the Family Medical Leave Act was passed, allowing 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a newborn or family member. And while salaries have increased since the 1970s, women still make, on average, just 78 cents for every dollar a man earns -- a political issue then, a political issue now.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think I am letting you in on a secret when I say -- too many women still earn less than men on the job.
BURNETT: And as Hillary Clinton chases the nation's top job, TV continues to reflect women's evolution with strong characters like Olivia Pope on "Scandal."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you don't let me help you, you're going to die for this.
BURNETT: She runs her own powerful crisis management company.
And "The Good Wife's" Alicia Florrick, a top attorney.
(on camera): Women now have a lot more power. They have a lot more power over their own lives, essentially.
CONCHA: Absolutely.
BURNETT: And you see that reflected in the television shows.
CONCHA: Rarely do you see now women on television that are just stay at home wives. They have some sort of career going on, and the career is something extraordinary. Like in "Scandal", and, oh, by the way, you're sleeping with the president.
BURNETT (voice-over): Mary Lou Henner says television has been friendly to women but still has a long way to go.
HENNER: I think that you have those little smatterings of people who seem totally real on television. Then the people who just seem to have like the most gorgeous clothes and, the most fantastical lives -- let's face it, you know, it's a Kardashian world and we all just live in it.
BURNETT: And even the Kardashians owe gratitude to icons like Mary Richards who first broke the mold.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: The CNN original series "The Seventies" premieres tomorrow night at 9:00.
All right. In the 24 hours since we told you the best story of the week about the 6-year-old who struts her stuff to Aretha Franklin's "Respect", the video has received nearly 10 million more hits, which brings the total people who have seen this little girl to 40 million. Take that Kardashians.
We have also now heard from the Queen of Soul herself who says of her impersonator, quote, "I'm scared of her. I thought I had those moved covered. But this little girl is fierce."
Talk about respect. I got to give it to you, Aretha, you got to know when you are beat, because this little thing, she's you trounced.
Thanks so much for joining us. Be sure to set your DVR to record OUTFRONT so you can watch us any time. "AC360" with John Berman in tonight starts now.
